During this rotation you have seen the effects of plant disease both locally and globally. Together with the other students in your cohort, discuss the implications of plant disease. Your mentor will lead the discussion. As part of your discussion consider:

• The effect they have on local communities


• The costs associated with them


• The uncertainties of effectively treating them


• Their possible effect on the world’s food supply

Working individually, write a thoughtful response (about 1 -2 pages) to the following questions. Once you have completed the questions, submit this reflection assignment to your mentor.

1. During this rotation you have been made decisions using two very different models of decision-making – De Bono Hats and a version of MAUT. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Describe the kinds of tasks you believe each of the two decision-making models would be best used for.


2. Do you think your outcome would have been different if you had used MAUT in task 1 and De Bono Hats in task 2? Please explain.


3. Did groupthink impact your decision-making, or how did you avoid it if you feel that it was not a factor? Imagine a situation where a group is making a decision, like what movie to see, or a family choosing a vacation spot, etc. How could groupthink impact that situation? What steps could you take to avoid it?


4. Decision making skills have application beyond this rotation and the problems you have considered here. Imagine you are trying to determine which college you will attend. Apply one of the decision-making models from this rotation to help you make the choice.